The winter tourist season is in high swing since we left just before Christmas...I was worried, what with warnings from both US and Canadian governments, a chaotic and dysfunctional local government, a city with crumbling infrastructure and health concerns, would people come back? All one needs to know the answer is to walk the streets of Colonia La Madera to realize, yes the tourists are here! Restaurants that seemed at risk of survival, with little or no customers in early December are now experiencing line-ups each night. I'm happy for my Mexican friends. They basically earn their entire years income in the 5 months between December and end of April, when the last of the die-hard Mexico lovers pack up and head back to what is hopefully a warmer clime. And they do it with non-stop smiles, friendly hugs and for those of us whom they have come to know, a genuine interest in how we are. It's a love-in of epic proportions.
But as I glance around the faces of the "extranjeros"...many familiar, but also many new faces who may be on their first vacation here and stroll in groups through the town, I wonder....do they understand how their world and this world are so far apart? Do they see the need, or like us, until we knew the Mexican families and; became part time residents of a small neighborhood where we know the neighbors, Nino's Adelante sponsors, - is it just a pretty beach side town with too many bars, too many restaurants and an abundance of tacky tourist stuff to bring home as a "recuerdo" of Mexico?
In our first week, we have been reconnected with the people we love. Doraliz has matured, she is within a few months of high school graduation and remains committed to her goal of nursing school. This tugs at my heart strings a little...I never expected any of my children to become nurses, but thinking of my sponsored child becoming a nurse does create warm fuzzies in me... And she is experiencing her first practicum as I write. Her family is now caring for their aged "bizabuela"...Doraliz's great grandma who has heart failure and normally lives alone in the small pueblo, south of Zihuatanejo without the medical care she needs. So adding to a house that is only partially built, home to 3 children, 2 adults, chickens, birds and a dog and various members of the colonia when they have problems, as well as functioning as the local tienda (store) and storage area for building materials for the squatters homes; Doraliz's family have opened their home to care for a person they love. Meanwhile, another grandma who lives in Zihuatanejo is also struggling with end stage untreated diabetes...and will join their family when she needs the assistance. I find myself wondering how many of us in Canada in our large, luxurious homes that sit empty most of the day would ever consider bringing their aged relatives in to live...
And in my neighborhood, our local pedicurist, beautician, a 20 something young Mexican woman who grew up in Texas in a community of illegal migrants and returned to her husbands hometown here in Mexico a few years ago, is 6 weeks away from delivering her 3rd child. This is not a happy story. Her young, uneducated and abusive husband left her for a teenage girl, has dodged paying child support to her 2 other children by claiming he was unemployed; and has attempted to assault her on numerous occasions. But when I ask Maria how she is doing; she tells me that because her own mother was not a responsible parent, she is even more committed to trying to provide the best life and home she can for her soon to be 3 young children. In Mexico, children are valued and are part of every occasion. Children grow up in sight of their parents and grandparents most of the day. So not only will Maria do her best, but the home where she works will also be a refuge for her on a daily basis; both before and after she delivers this baby.
So with these cares in my mind and heart, are we having fun yet? Yes....it is Sailfest; the opportunity for local gringos, sailboaters and tourists to flex their donation muscles and support worthy causes in the school community. Por Los Nino's, an umbrella charity that builds and supports classrooms, food programs and scholarship programs like Nino's Adelante is the annual beneficiary of this fun, well-organized event. Tonight, my favorite musicians take the stage for a huge benefit concert...and we are going!
Cori is adjusting once again to his Mexican life.... As always, one of our first stops is to get his hair cut as sand and poodle curls make for a messy experience daily. Hoping to spread our tourist pesos around, we tried out the newest business downtown, a pet spa/boarding facility that promises vacation delights for pets left behind (don't tell Cori), Cori endured yet another too short cut and went from being perceived as big and strong to being revealed as the skinny, almost frail looking poodle he is.
But that doesn't stop him from having fun in the best way he can, ball on Playa Madera...it's a huge treat to be back in the warm ocean and running on the sand with the kids of Mexico to play with.
Within the walls of Casa Ceiba the days are relaxed. Return renters lounge in the sun, warming their aged bones and remarking on how beautiful it all is. Our staff are preparing for the annual general meeting of our condominium. This year we will become a home owners association; and we will operate the building to the best of our ability. Personally, our mental and emotional investment in this community has diminished as we find ourselves wondering where the future will take us. But nevertheless, I am in the final stage of immigration and will soon join Gene as being a "permanent resident" of Mexico. Who knows...maybe another Mexican community has our name on it? Just like our move to Denman Island...with an open heart and an open mind...anything is possible!
And meanwhile, the newest member of our family just keeps getting cuter and bigger than ever - le extranamos mucho Wyatt...your Mexican friends and family are waiting to meet you! A place where family means everything.
